Transcript Slide 1

ESUS: Embolic Strokes of Undetermined Source
Γεώργιος Ντάιος
Παθολογική Κλινική, Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλίας
TOAST classification
Adams. Stroke 1993
TOAST classification
?
Cryptogenic stroke: not rare
Cryptogenic stroke: not innocent
Ntaios, Vemmos. Eur J Neurol. 2014; 21:1108-14
Cryptogenic stroke: what actually do you mean?
Cryptogenic
Not investigated
Multiple causes
Really cryptogenic
ESUS: Embolic Strokes of Undetermined Source
Hart. Lancet Neurol 2014; 13: 429–38
ESUS: Embolic Strokes of Undetermined Source
ESUS: potential causes
Hart. Lancet Neurol 2014; 13: 429–38
ESUS: diagnostic criteria
 Stroke detected by CT or MRI that is not lacunar.
 Absence of extracranial or intracranial atherosclerosis causing >50% luminal stenosis
in arteries supplying the area of ischemia.
 No major-risk cardioembolic source of embolism (permanent or paroxysmal AF, sustained
atrial flutter, intracardiac thrombus, prosthetic cardiac valve, atrial myxoma or other cardiac
tumours, mitral stenosis, recent (<4 weeks) MI, LVEF<30%, valvular vegetations, or infective
endocarditis).
 No other specific cause of stroke identified.
Hart. Lancet Neurol 2014; 13: 429–38
ESUS: diagnostic algorithm
 Brain CT or MRI
 12-lead ECG
 Precordial echocardiography
 Imaging of both extra- and intracranial arteries supplying the area of brain ischemia
 Cardiac monitoring for ≥24hours with automated rhythm detection
Hart. Lancet Neurol 2014; 13: 429–38
CRYSTAL-AF
Sanna. N Engl J Med 2014;370:2478-86
CRYSTAL-AF: the more you look, the more you find
12.4% vs.
2.0%
30.0% vs.
3.0%
Sanna. N Engl J Med 2014;370:2478-86
EMBRACE: the more you look, the more you find
Gladstone. N Engl J Med 2014;370:2467-77
EMBRACE: the more you look, the more you find
Gladstone. N Engl J Med 2014;370:2467-77
EMBRACE: the more you look, the more you find
Gladstone. N Engl J Med 2014;370:2467-77
ESUS in the Athens Stroke Registry
Ntaios, Vemmos. Stroke 2015; 46:176-81
Ntaios, Vemmos. Stroke 2015; 46:176-81
Mitral valve
Myxomatous valvulopathy with prolapse
Mitral annular calcification
Aortic valve
Aortic valve stenosis
Calcific aortic valve
Non-atrial fibrillation atrial dysrhythmias and stasis
Atrial asystole and sick-sinus syndrome
Atrial high-rate episodes
Atrial appendage stasis with reduced flow velocities or spontaneous echodensities
Atrial structural abnormalities
Atrial septal aneurysm
Chiari network
Left ventricle
Moderate systolic or diastolic dysfunction (global or regional)
Ventricular non-compaction
Endomyocardial fibrosis
Covert paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (detected during follow-up)
Atrial fibrillation detected on stroke recurrence-30
Atrial fibrillation detected on monitoring during follow-up
Atrial fibrillation not confirmed but strongly suspected
Cancer-associated
Covert non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis
Tumor emboli from occult cancer
Arteriogenic emboli
Aortic arch atherosclerotic plaques
Cerebral artery non-stenotic plaques with ulceration
Paradoxical embolism
Patent foramen ovale
Atrial septal defect
5 (1.8%)
8 (2.9%)
3 (1.1%)
12 (4.4%)
3 (1.1%)
7 (2.6%)
6 (2.2%)
10 (3.6%)
0
42 (15.4%)
12 (4.4%)
1 (0.4%)
30 (11.0%)
50 (18.3%)
38 (13.9%)
1 (0.4%)
2 (0.8%)
9 (3.3%)
29 (10.6%)
11 (4.0%)
3 (1.1%)
ESUS: 5-yrs stroke recurrence
Ntaios, Vemmos. Stroke, in press
ESUS & AF at follow-up: how much causality is there?
AF-related strokes are more severe
Patient characteristics
NIHSS on admission
Large-artery Cardioembolic
atherosclerotic
stroke
stroke
Lacunar
stroke
Stroke of
undetermined
origin
Stroke of
miscellaneous
causes
n=496
n=993
n=647
n=533
n=61
8.6
12.8
3.4
9.7
7.6
Ntaios, Vemmos. Eur J Neurol. 2014; 21:1108-14
ESUS & AF: how much of a causality?
NIHSS score
AF ESUS
(n=80)
Non-AF ESUS
(n=195)
p-value
5 (2-13)
5 (2-14)
0.998
Ntaios, Vemmos, in preparation
Statins for AF-related stroke?
Ntaios, Vemmos. International Journal of Cardiology, 2014
So, how to treat my ESUS patient?
Approach 1
Furie. Stroke 2010
So, how to treat my ESUS patient?
Approach 2
So, how to treat my ESUS patient?
Approach 3
NAVIGATE- ESUS
Rivaroxaban 15mg 1x1
R
Aspirin 100mg 1x1
RESPECT - ESUS
Dabigatran 110/150 1x2
R
Aspirin 100mg 1x1
- Everybody gets happy!
- Almost half stroke patients get an anticoagulant!
Take-home messages
 Cryptogenic  ESUS
 ~10% of all stroke patients
 ESUS needs a complete (?) diagnostic work-up
 Covert AF is frequently detected in ESUS
 Perhaps AF is over-estimated as a stroke cause
 High recurrence rate
 NOACs to replace antiplatelets?